Category Oscar Nominees

Welcome, to the first annual Moore Review Awards… or “The Brady’s” for short. There are tons of award shows out there, but few manage to encapsulate all of the film genres and show appreciation for the movie going public who can find enjoyment with the mindless action film as well as the thought provoking Oscar bate. That is what the Brady’s are for. Good performances don’t just come in dramas or period pieces, and my awards highlight all of the movies that make us laugh, cry, and sit on the edge of our seats. Quick side note before we get into the awards, films up for nomination had to have been released in 2016 (even if limited) to be considered. Also, as this is a recap of all of the films of last year, there is a SPOILER WARNING for this article. Now, without further ado… enjoy the first annual Moore Review Awards and feel free to comment and share.

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

Bronze: Zack Efron (Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates) – Efron is quickly becoming one of the best actors at comedic performances, and he managed to steal the show in this offbeat comedy.

Silver: Alan Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) – The unfiltered droid, K2-SO,provided some of the best comic relief in the franchise’s history

Winner: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) – C’mon. Was there any doubt? Deadpool was one of the best movies of 2016 mainly because it simply let Ryan Reynolds be Ryan Reynolds. And that’s almost always hilarious.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Bronze: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – If the newer Star Wars films have taught us anything, it’s that for this franchise, practical effects work better than CGI.

Silver: The Jungle Book – Jon Favreau and company managed to make an entire jungle and talking animals look incredibly lifelike.

Winner: Doctor Strange – It wasn’t just cool CGI, but the use of it that made this film look mesmerizing. The added 3D effect really helped bring the psychedelic world to life like nothing we’d ever seen in a superhero film.

Other nominees: Assassin’s Creed, Kubo & The Two Strings, Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them

BEST ADAPTATION

Bronze: Captain America: Civil War – While it was a watered down version of the comic mini-series, the film succeeded in giving a ton of a heroes reason to be onscreen together and come into conflict with each other.

Silver: Hidden Figures – Margot Lee Shetterly’s historical account was well crafted into a heartwarming story about African American women overcoming prejudice.

Winner: Deadpool – No comic film has been adapted as perfectly as this film was. They kept the violence, humor, and fourth wall breaks intact without compromising the endearment of the characters.

Other nominees: Fences, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

BEST ONSCREEN ROMANCE

Bronze: Ryan Reynolds & Morena Baccarin (Deadpool) – Even with all of the violence and humor, the chemistry between these two is what gave the film its heart.

Silver: Multiple actors who played Black & Kevin (Moonlight) – Same sex relationships are rarely shown on screen, even fewer between men. This film’s portrayal of such a relationship was both groundbreaking and emotionally captivating.

Winner: Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling (La La Land) – The two actors are insanely likable apart, and their chemistry in this film helped drive an already interesting narrative.

BEST ONSCREEN TEAM

Bronze: Kristin Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones (Ghostbusters) – Despite the unfair comparisons to their male predecessors, this group of female comedians had a fun dynamic onscreen and each had a moment to shine.

Silver: Team Cap (Captain America: Civil War) – Unlike Team Iron Man, this team was cohesive and got a surprising MVP performance from Ant-Man.

Winner: The Rebels (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) – This team provided a great blend of different characters from noble Chirrut Inwe to snarky K2-SO. Despite their wide range of personalities, they all had a likable trait and they meshed beautifully in accomplishing their ill-fated mission.

Winner: John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane) – Goodman’s character might’ve been the only one creepier than the Blind Man. The fact that this murderous, kidnapping, conspiracy theorist turned out to be less crazy than we thought just makes the character even more frightening.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Bronze: La La Land – An endearing idea of molding classic Hollywood musicals with modern jazz as the backdrop to a love story where both characters are struggling to follow their dreams.

Silver: Moonlight – It’s often amazing how few films there are about same sex relationships. Combining that concept with the element of a character’s childhood, adolescents, and adulthood help add to the splendor of this thought provoking film.

Winner: 10 Cloverfield Lane – Making a movie where virtually all of the scenes take place in two rooms between three characters isn’t easy, but to make one as suspenseful as this one is a testament to a sensational script.

Other nominees: Zootopia, The Nice Guys, Don’t Breathe

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Bronze: Kubo & The Two Strings – Gorgeously animated, stylish, exciting and clever with a wonderful cast of characters.

Silver: Finding Dory – A sequel as good or better than its predecessor. This movie gave us a tear jerking story and a host of wonderful new characters to go along with the ones we loved from Finding Nemo.

Winner: Zootopia – Smart, funny, and incredibly socially relevant for a children’s film. Zootopia is a modern Disney classic.

Other nominees – Sing, Moana, The Secret Life of Pets

BEST DIRECTOR

Bronze: Denis Villenueve (Arrival) – Breathtaking cinematography and brilliant non-linear framing helped make this thinking man’s sci-fi film into one of the most beautiful film’s of the year.

Silver: Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe) – This movie was proof that good direction can make or break any film. Claustrophobic camera angles and an eerie score helped make Don’t Breathe a memorable slasher/thriller film.

Winner: Damien Chazelle (La La Land) – There were so many memorable scenes that stand out in this film. The musical numbers were sensational and the ending montage was the cherry on top of a well crafted, enjoyable film from beginning to end.

BEST ACTRESS

Bronze: Emma Stone (La La Land) – Stone’s performance was both charming and soulful and had audiences rooting for the struggling actress from her first audition.

Silver: Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures) – The sensational depths of her performance as Katherine Johnson can be summed up in her powerful monologue after having to run in the rain to the ‘colored’ restroom.

Winner: Amy Adams (Arrival) – A movie with such a somber tone has to have a solid leading lady to keep things flowing. Adams is both clever, headstrong and endearingly vulnerable in her performance as Louise Banks.

BEST ACTOR

Bronze: Ashton Sanders (Moonlight) – All of the people who played Chiron were great, but Sanders’ performance as the teenage boy struggling with his sexuality was easily the most incredible. Sanders’ portrayal helped illustrate the boy’s transition from meager bullied kid into a tough and relentless man.

Silver: Denzel Washington (Fences) – Denzel will always deliver. In Fences he had one gripping monologue after another and helped carry a narrative that might’ve dragged without his (and Viola Davis’) performance.

Winner: Ryan Gosling (La La Land) – Sauve, charismatic, and intensely soulful. Gosling made the character of Sebastian easily the most fun and likable character on screen in 2016. He also gets extra credit for actually learning how to tap dance and play the piano for the role.

2016 MOVIE OF THE YEAR

Bronze: Deadpool – Making a unique superhero film in this day and age is not easy. And yet, Deadpool manages to be a satire of the genre while also providing intense action and a charming romantic subplot.

Silver: Zootopia – Pertinent to the point that it should be required viewing in schools, Disney’s masterpiece also manages to be heartwarming and incredibly funny for a film with such a thought provoking subject matter.

Winner: La La Land – Fun, beautifully filmed, smart, soulful, and lead by two actors with infectious charm this musical reminded us of what was so wonderful about old school Hollywood filmmaking.

There you have it ladies and gents. The first annual MooreReview.com Awards is in the books. Thanks for reading and I look forward to 2017’s nominees. Please like/share and feel free to comment who you think the winners should’ve been. As for the 2016 Academy Awards, expect films like La La Land, Moonlight, and Fences to rack up.

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Laika has quickly become a studio known for sensational filmmaking. Paranorman was one of my favorite films of 2012, and even though their last film, Box Trolls wasn’t as strong of a story, it still managed to dazzle with its unique animation and generally charming message. Their newest film, Kubo and the Two Strings, feels like an old bedtime story with all of the magic, mysticism, and heart that make old legends so entertaining.

Like all of Laika’s films, Kubo and the Two Strings is a stop motion animated film. It tells the story of Kubo (Art Parkinson), a boy who lost his eye when his mother escaped with him after her magical father (Ralph Fiennes) and sisters kill her husband. When Kubo’s magical twin aunts (Rooney Mara) track him down, the boy must journey with his talking monkey guardian (Charlize Theron) and an amnesiac beetle samurai (Matthew McConaughey) to find the only thing that can protect him: his father’s legendary armor.

As mentioned, all of Laika’s film are gorgeously animated. Knowing the meticulous nature with which these films are made only adds to the splendor. But even if it didn’t look incredible to the eyes this film would still be a triumph. The story is filled with wondrous adventure and incredible action sequences that never slow. And at the heart of it all are some of the most endearing characters in any animated film. Monkey is a harsh, but caring mother figure and Beetle is a bumbling but brave sidekick. Even a mute, magical origami samurai that guides Kubo provides a touch of comic relief and a dash of nobility.

With memorable characters, great animation, soothing music, and a captivating story that is great for all ages (although perhaps a bit frightening for the youngest viewers), there is nothing to dislike about Kubo and the Two Strings. It is undoubtedly one of the best films of 2016, and if you failed to catch it in theaters as I did, then you should rush to your nearest redbox if you’re a fan of any period adventure film.

FINAL GRADE: A

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Denzel Washington. There are very few people in existence who can give a monologue like him. But he might have met his match, at least for this film, in the form of fellow Oscar winning actress Viola Davis. Like Denzel, Viola can shine even in mediocre films. The two sensational performers join forces as Denzel steps behind the director’s chair to adapt August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play.

Fences stars Denzel as Troy, a 53 year old former Negro League baseball player struggling to make ends meet as a garbage man with his wife, Rose (Davis), in 1950’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Together, they navigate Troy’s struggles with his mentally handicapped brother (Mykelti Williamson) and his rocky relationship with their teenage, athlete son (Jovan Adepo) and Troy’s illegitimate, musician oldest son (Russell Hornsby). As an original play, the film is low on thrills, but heavy on drama and emotion. The movie itself feels very much like a play and with that comes the pros and cons of most stage play to movie adaptations. The movie is long and very slow, but dragging moments are lifted by the sheer power of the two leads.

To no surprise, Washington and Davis are both brilliant in their performances. Washington is both charismatic and emotionally jarring. His scenes with Jovan Adepo provide some of the best dialogue on film. But when the real drama sets in toward the end of the film, Viola Davis takes the lead as the most magnetic person on screen. Her portrayal is filled with the soulfully endearing passion that makes her the hero of the entire narrative.

If you go in knowing that the film will be methodical then the sluggish pacing won’t be nearly as off-putting. Filled with magnetic monologues from not just Davis and Washington, but every major player, Fences is a movingly poignant story of African American culture in the 1950’s that is beautiful to witness. And I can die happy knowing that two of the best in the business were able to bring it to life.

FINAL GRADE: A-

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Yes. I do have a very strong opinion about Nate Parker and fully understand the controversy surrounding this film that he wrote, directed, and starred in. But I can put aside my thoughts and feelings on the person to both watch and critique his film without bias, because the story of Nat Turner is an interesting one. And it is a major part of American history that, like all of our country’s dirty lineage, deserves to be told.

Parker stars as Turner, a slave taught to read the Bible at a young age who grows up to become a preacher. When word gets out of a slave preacher, Turner’s master Samuel (Armie Hammer) begins making money escorting Nat throughout the south and using his preaching ability to tame slaves. Along his journey, Turner witnesses the harsh treatment of his people and eventually insights a rebellion.

It’s important with any historical film to do some homework. Movies always take certain liberties in order to change history to fit a 2 hour narrative. So fact checking The Birth of a Nation is as important as fact checking a Presidential debate. There are moments and characters thrown in simply for this story. An example of this is Jackie Earl Haley’s Raymond Cobb, a character that serves as a too convenient rival to Nat Turner almost solely for the purpose of a final cathartic adversary.

Regardless of the details changed or lacking in the film, the story is paced well and certainly doesn’t skimp on the discomforting brutality of the era, navigating the horrendous lives of slaves with gut wrenching fervor.There is lynching, whipping, rape (though it is never actually shown on screen), and the verbal degradation that too many Americans nowadays would like swept under the rug. Thus, it is an undeniably powerful and thought provoking film.

But I couldn’t help feeling like too much of the film was a reminder of the past, without actually delving deeper into the philosophies that created it as well as the crucial aftermath. The actions that followed the rebellion, such as legislation passed to limit the rights of even those blacks who were free, are reduced to an explanatory sentence at the end of the movie. The slave revolt itself, which was very tactical and well thought out by Nat Turner in actuality, is boggled down to a few scenes in the final act making it feel more like a compilation of poorly coordinated brawls. Most of the focus is placed on what led to Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion, but chances are anyone watching the film knows that slavery was horrible. We’ve seen it in films over and over again, so focusing on this aspect is a missed opportunity to show why these events mattered instead of just reaffirming that they happened.

Religion and it’s use to both condone slavery and keep slaves docile plays a pivotal role and is perhaps the biggest factor in making this film feel unique. But from a filmmaking standpoint, Parker’s direction at times tries to be a bit too artistic. There are random cuts of visions and shots of things like bleeding ears of corn that never truly feel well placed. So while Birth of a Nation is pertinent and full of solid performances, it isn’t as memorable as a film such as 12 Years a Slave. And that’s important. Because those who truly need to see the film will likely avoid it (and not because of Nate Parker). Those who understand it’s importance will be reminded of the country’s dark past, but not educated on it as much as they could’ve been.

FINAL GRADE: B-

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PROJECT ALMANAC Another found footage movie exploring the nature of a science fiction component told through the eyes of “average” American teens. The story follows a high school genius as he, his two best friends, his sister, and his crush, develop the world’s first known time machine. Like many time travel movies before it, it explores the nature of the butterfly effect: the idea that even the smallest change in a timeline can drastically affect the future.

This film wants to be Chronicle so bad; from its characters, to its cinematography, to its tone. Like in Chronicle, the characters spend a large portion of the movie just doing the things that any kid would probably do with something supernatural: Getting rich, winning over the opposite sex, getting back at bullies. But after a while, we keep waiting for the conflict/sense of suspense to set in. By the time it actually does hit, it focuses on a sophomoric love story while also managing to scramble its own loose set of criterion. There’s so much potential here. Some of the performances are decent and the movie keeps your interest for a while. But overall, this movie is nothing special. FINAL GRADE: C+

THE LOFT Everyone loves a good murder mystery. In this one, five men decide to take turns using a loft to escape from their families and mainly cheat on their wives. After a dead woman is found in the loft one morning, the men begin unraveling past events to try and figure out which one of them, if any, is the culprit. But where this movie falls short, is not in its premise or script.

As mysteries go, it is fairly interesting and has the necessary twists and turns to keep you guessing, albeit it does drag on about 15 minutes too long. The faults are mainly in its crumby production value. The movie is shot like an episode of Law and Order (which would be fine if this weren’t a major motion picture) and the acting seems fresh out of a soap opera. The characters themselves are also the most unlikable you’ll ever find. The men are mostly creepy, chauvinistic, violent, liars and the woman are mostly gossipy, bitchy, or over emotional. If you can get past the bland stereotyped cast and just focus on the mystery itself, you’ll find that there are far worse things you could’ve sat through (*cough* Boy Next Door). FINAL GRADE: C+

INHERENT VICE Joaquin Phoenix stars in this cartoonish comedy/crime drama about a stoner/Private Investigator trying to prevent the kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend’s new lover. Set in 1970’s California, the movie features an All-Star cast including Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Owen Wilson, and Reese Witherspoon. The movie is based on a novel by Thomas Pynchon and probably never should’ve been made into a movie.

That is not to say that Inherent Vice is a bad movie. But some stories just work better as books. This film, while filled with several hilarious moments (many stemming from Phoenix’s strong, comedic performance), is just so scatter brained that it makes it hard to keep up with its already convoluted plot. And although the overall tone clicks with a seudo-60’s hippy vibe, only Phoenix’s performance comes off as memorable. FINAL GRADE: C+

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR It’s truly amazing what tone and strong performances can do for a film. Some premises, like the story of a hardworking fuel mogul looking to grow his company, shouldn’t be as interesting as a mob film. And yet, despite the lack of actual violence in A Most Violent Year, the film is as compelling as any mob classic.

The credit should undoubtedly go to the two remarkably imposing leads. Oscar Isaac is smart, suave, and magnificently tactical as Abel Morales, the owner of a 1981 Standard Oil company falling victim to a stream of violent truckjacking in New York city. His character is mob boss methodical, but has no dreams of violence unlike his volatile, mob-daughter wife, Anna (Jessica Chastain). Chastain’s brutal wit and fervor provide a dynamic between the two characters that manages to push the film past it’s mostly uneventful plot and make for a surprisingly fascinating two hours. FINAL GRADE: A-

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The art of war is a very delicate subject. Why soldiers fight, and how they fight, will probably always be a subject that is taboo. But, no matter how you feel about war, there is no denying that it takes someone with a special constitution to voluntarily thrust themselves into the filth of it. American Sniper gives us a fascinating glimpse inside the life of the noblest of the sort.

Films by Clint Eastwood (Jersey Boys, J.Edgar, Gran Torino) can be an acquired taste. They often flutter around with no clear intent or perspective or they give off a certain sense of gloom that saps the energy out of everyone watching. Luckily, here he has a subject that would be difficult to mismanage. The film follows the memoirs of U.S. Navy Seal, Chris Kyle. A man documented as the greatest sniper in our country’s history.

At the start, the film seems too much like a movie and not enough like the recount of an actual person’s life. We begin with shots of Kyle’s childhood where he beats up a bully for hurting his younger brother then receives a seemingly made-for-movie speech from his father about sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. These scenes are relevant, but so hurried and overblown that they feel like the intro to a superhero movie. Luckily, things pick up when Kyle (Bradley Cooper) decides to quit his life as a cowboy and join the navy in his mid-30s.

Bradley Cooper has come a long way since his days of playing comedic tools in films like Wedding Crashers and The Hangover. Here, he takes his game to new heights. I’d never heard of Chris Kyle a.k.a. “The Legend” as he was known in the military circuit, and odds are you haven’t either. So, a poor performance could’ve easily made this man seem like a naive, robotic, jarhead brainwashed by the American ideal of patriotism. But instead, Cooper is utter perfection. He portrays Kyle with fierce passion and nobility that makes him feel like a true, flawed hero.

Thanks to Cooper, this Chris Kyle feels as real as if we knew him. Cooper guides us through every emotional moment, from each conflicting kill, ranging from maniacal butchers to women and children in the name of protecting his fellow soldiers, to Kyle’s bouts with post traumatic stress disorder after returning home to his wife (an equally brilliant Sienna Miller) and kids. The film also succeeds through several solid supporting roles (Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman) and also manages to address the controversial perspectives of the “War on terror” through the eyes of the men engulfed in it.

There is nothing enjoyable about war. War is always horrific and grim, and movies on the subject share the same sentiments. In that sense, American Sniper is just like any other war film. Luckily, we have stellar performances to help an otherwise dull film transcend into something incredibly compelling.